Novak Djokovic Routs Roger Federer at the Italian Open

Novak Djokovic has won the only two tournaments on clay that he has entered this year.CreditClaudio Onorati/European Pressphoto Agency

By Ben Rothenberg

May 17, 2015

ROME — Increasingly, it seems that the only thing standing in the way of Novak Djokovic’s winning his first French Open title next month is time.

Djokovic, the top-ranked player on the men’s tour, gave a thunderous reminder of his current dominance on Sunday in the Italian Open final, routing second-ranked Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-3, in 75 minutes for his second consecutive title here.

Djokovic controlled the match on the slow clay court from the baseline, bullying Federer in nearly every rally in which Federer was unable to make his way to the net or finish the point within the first several shots.

When the match finished on a Federer forehand that flapped wide, Djokovic calmly held his arms in the air and then clenched his fist toward his box. It was not until after shaking Federer’s hand that he let loose with a leap of joy. Then, after handing his racket to a boy in the stands, he signed a camera lens with “Grazie ancora Roma,” which means “Thanks again, Rome” in Italian.

The toughest blow that Djokovic took came after the trophy ceremony, when the cork of a celebratory bottle of Champagne hit him in the face, bloodying the bridge of his nose and narrowly missing his left eye. The bottle was provided by Moët & Chandon, a sponsor of Federer.

“I’m very fortunate to have the eye,” Djokovic said. “We had an argument, Mr. Champagne and I, and he threw a punch.”

Djokovic’s fourth title here was hardly unexpected. He has won the only two tournaments on clay that he has entered this year, the other being in Monte Carlo. On hard courts, his preferred surface, he won the Australian Open, as well as Masters-level Indian Wells and Miami events. For weeks, oddsmakers have had Djokovic as a favorite to win in Paris.

“I don’t think that I need to go a gear up; I don’t think that I have to do anything special in order to be successful in Roland Garros,” Djokovic said. “I have been very close to that title before, played several finals. I just need to continue preparing myself for that event as well as I’m preparing for any other, and try to keep the routine going. Hopefully that can bring me to where I want to be.”

The usual favorite in Paris during recent years, Rafael Nadal, has sputtered through the European clay swing this year, losing at all four tournaments he entered. He lost his only match against Djokovic, in the semifinals at Monte Carlo, and he fell to Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals here Friday. Despite being a nine-time champion in Paris in 10 appearances, Nadal will be seeded seventh at the tournament, matching his current ranking.

Nadal is still the favorite in the eyes of Federer, however. Even after experiencing Djokovic’s dominance firsthand, Federer maintained his position that Nadal was his pick for Roland Garros.

“No, because you cannot take away the last 10 years,” Federer said. “It’s going to be best of five sets. We know how tough Rafa is, physically and mentally. He is the favorite, still, to me.”

Federer then alluded to the 2011 season, in which Djokovic was undefeated before losing to Federer in the semifinals of the French Open.

“It’s all talk,” he said. “At the end, it’s the rackets that are going to do the talking. Novak could do very, very well. Rafa as well.”

A front-runner is less obvious on the women’s side, which has seen no player go undefeated on clay this year. But Maria Sharapova, the defending champion in Paris, solidified her place on the short list of contenders with a third title in Rome, beating Carla Suárez Navarro, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, in a women’s final amid searing midday heat. Sharapova has reached the final in each of the last three years in Paris, winning twice and losing once, to Serena Williams. But despite her growing comfort on clay, Sharapova, who once likened her movement on clay to a “cow on ice,” still jokingly compared it to “Bambi on ice.”

Against Suárez Navarro, a more natural clay court stylist with a looping one-handed backhand and short, quick steps, Sharapova powered through to victory. The title, her 11th on clay, tied her with Williams for the most in the women’s game among active players, and she has won at least one title on the surface in each of the last six years.

“It wasn’t an overnight success, that’s for sure,” Sharapova said of her play on clay. “It took a lot of work, physical and mental, to get to this stage and put myself in these positions. When I would play someone like Carla a few years ago, even six years ago, I knew that it would be a really long battle. Today, I was feeling like if I could just hang in there and, doing the things that I’m doing, I can do that for over three hours. That really makes me happy that I’ve improved that.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D2 of the New York edition with the headline: Rout of Federer Bolsters Djokovic’s Status as an Unlikely Favorite for the French Open. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe